I love a dual perspective book and this perhaps unexpectedly was that. Really love all the ‘maid’ trope books currently and this added a new twist to it. Lovely new author for me to look out for too.

Very enjoyable read, with good characters and a heart warming story. I would definitely recommend to anyone else who enjoys a historical story with some romance.

A wonderful story in 2 different centuries where both Annie and Emer's world will collide and where secrets will be revealed.

Annie leaving Ireland for America, her dream at starting a new and exciting life and Emer who has returned to Ireland from America looking herself for what is missing in her life.

A wonderful story told beautifully where hopes, dreams and families bring the story together, one not to miss!

This is a dual timeline story which I really enjoyed. Annie’s story began in Ireland in 1908 and followed her as she emigrated to America in the 1920s. What a brave thing to have done on her own, she was quite naive in some ways, as she discovered out later on. Annie worked as a maid and the contrast in lifestyle of Annie and her employers was vast, especially how they took the servants for granted. In 2022, Emer, a 32 year old has returned to Ireland from America to see her parents after the Covid pandemic. She needs time to recover from the stress of the pandemic. Things don’t work out as she has planned but new opportunities present themselves. I was wondering how the two timelines would link but it all worked out perfectly. This is a story where friendship and love played a strong part in the character’s actions. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crowley is back with another beautifully written historical fiction/mystery in her book A Maid of Fifth Avenue. Set in two timelines, the story follows young Annie who dreams of travelling the world and escaping life in rural Kerry. When she gets the opportunity to travel to New York and find work as a maid for a wealthy family living on Fifth Avenue, she jumps at the chance. Annie soon makes a friend, an Italian waitress named Elena. But soon friendship evolves into something much more and they find themselves in a dangerous situation as Annie’s past catches up with her.

A century later, Emer finds herself in her family’s holiday home in West Kerry. But here too, the past refuses to die and Annie and Emer’s lives become inextricably linked with long buried secrets bubbling to the surface.

Crowley’s ability to write the most genuine characters is one of my favourite aspects of her storytelling. The story of these two women is carefully untangled on the pages- the dual timelines allowing the reader to jump between the 1920s and 2020s and see the connections between the protagonists reveal themselves. Like Crowley’s The Belladonna Maze, the author fuses together mystery and historical fiction to give her readers a powerful and poignant story that will grab your attention from the very first page.

Annie is a fierce character, a loyal friend and a woman who doesn’t want to settle. She’s willing to leave everything she knows to find a new life for herself at a time when women were expected to marry and have children. Her adventurous spirit and her love of new experiences is heartwarming; the love she has for Carla is beautiful and the development of their romance and relationship is so perfectly captured by the author. I would have been happy to focus solely on Annie’s story but the addition of Emer’s story and how these two women are so closely linked really adds another dimension to the book. Emer’s role is to unravel the tangled web of secrets with the help of Rob.

Be warned that there is discussion of domestic violence and assault but these topics are handled with great care by Crowley - they’re integral to the story rather than an add on for dramatic effect.

The contrast between 1920s New York, the hustle and bustle of life there in comparison to the quiet life of those in West Kerry is visualised perfectly by Crowley. She deals with some big topics here like racism, the wealth divide, homophobia, the influence of religion, homesickness and more in this and it makes for a captivating and engaging story.

A Maid on Fifth Avenue is out tomorrow (26th) . 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to NetGalley & Aria & Aries for the arc.

In 2022, Emer returns to the West Kerry home, where she spent her childhood summers to relax and recover in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Surprisingly alone, she seeks companionship and finds what she needs in Rob and his friends. In the early twentieth century, Annie's close-knit family was everything to her, as was her friendship with her childhood friend, May. As an adult in the 1920s, she goes to America with her family's support and becomes a maid in an affluent house on Fifth Avenue. Her life changes as she makes new friends and comes of age before the problems she left behind return and force her back to her homeland. I enjoyed the characterisation and the family and friendship relationships. They are believable and define both Annie and Emer. I like the historical timeline's descriptive and insightful writing that immerses you in 1920s New York. I like the romance and tension in post-pandemic Kerry, which builds to an impactful ending. The twists are cleverly written and draw the two women together across time.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Maid on Fifth Avenue by Sinead Crowley is told in dual timelines part historical fiction and part modern day. It begins Annie in 1908 in Ireland and progresses from her childhood to adulthood in New York in the 20’s. Then we read Emer in 2022 who is suffering from COVID Burnout. The story is about the connection of the two from 100 years apart. It has unexpected insights to life in the Irish countryside, a taboo topic for the 1920 America and the reality of a worldwide pandemic of 2022.
It is a mystery, full of unexpected twist and turns
Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Aria and Aries and Sinead Crowley for the E ARC of this book, which is published on the 24th of September.
This is a dual timeline story. Elmer has come home to Ireland to spend time with her family but finds when she arrives that they are booked on a plane to surprise visit her in America, so she decides to spend her vacation time in their cottage in West Kerry. Her she finds herself trying new things, meeting new people and possibly finding new inspiration.
A century ago Annie knew that she was not meant to spend her life in the small town and longed for more. She saves her money and heads with her family’s blessing to New York. On the journey she meets Nora, who shows her how to survive the journey and also how to navigate New York. She gains employment with the Cavendish family and enjoys her work and living in the city. She and Nora spend their free time exploring the city, on one outing they meet Elena a young Italian waitress. As Annie and Elena spend time together their friendship deepens and their future is threatened not only from within the city but from back home in Ireland. Annie is again faced with making decisions that not only affect her but Elena as well.
This was an decent read. I liked Annie as a character, her joy in being in New York and all that she was seeing and experiencing was well written. I understood why she made the decisions she did, I think it is what most friends would have done. I did however find the link between the two narratives to be very tenuous and feel that it could have been made stronger.

A beautiful story intertwining the past with the present. Set in the rugged coast of county Kerry we get to know Annie who sailed off to New York in the 1920s. Whilst also meeting the descendants of the characters post COVID.
The characters develop well with tales of love, deep friendships and a mystery thrown in.
Highly recommend this, I couldn’t put it down.

This is one of those dual time line novels- it's set in the 1920s and 2020- when the earlier time line is both more compelling and more interesting. Annie leaves Ireland for the US in the 1920s and Emer leaves the US for Ireland in 2020. It's Annie you'll care about as she navigates life on her own and tries to understand her feelings for Elena. And when she finds herself an outcast in her hometown. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read that's very much a portrait of a woman of her class and time.

A brilliantly written novel set in two different time periods. The first is set in 1920's New York the second is set in a small village in Ireland, I enjoyed how the two stories connected.

1908 and Annie Thornton aged eight year old lives with her parents and younger sister Eve in a little house near the Atlantic Ocean, Ballydrynawn in county Kerry.
Annie has a best friend called May.
2022 Emer Molloy Irish by birth, but now living in America has arrived at her parents holiday home in County Kerry. After the Covid epidemic she is suffering from Covid burnout and needs to take time out from her busy life.
Annie as she grows in age looks over the ocean longingly, she wants to travel to America, sail over the ocean.
Emer wants a summer to restore herself and get her life back on track.
Will the two women find what they are looking for?

Told in timelines of 1908, 1920’s, 1940’s and 2022 the book moves through the chapters telling the story.
Although it has various characters its two main characters are Annie and Emer.
I enjoyed reading the book and found it interesting. The setting in County Kerry and New York City adding further interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

An absolutely brilliant duel time read which follows the lives of two women from Ireland.
Annie a young women from the early part of the twentieth century and Emer from the current period of time.
It is a beautiful love story which transcends the years.
It will entrance you from the very first page with a very satisfying ending
Can’t recommend it enough

I really enjoy a dual timeline novel, and this story of Annie, a young Irish woman, who travels to New York in the 1920s, intertwined with the modern day tale of Emer, a film producer who needs to decompress, is a good one.
In the 1920s timeline, Annie is a very modern, determined young woman, who finds friendship and with a young Italian woman. When this blossoms into passion, they are both at risk. Meanwhile, back in Ireland, terrible things are happening to Annie’s friend.
In the present strand, Emer finds herself learning to surf, and developing a friendship with her instructor. When this develops into something more, the past and present start to collide.
This is a light read, but with some themes which are a bit grittier. I enjoyed the author’s last book and think this is better. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

As you all know I love reading. Recently I was given the opportunity to read an early copy of Sinead Crowley "A maid on fifth avenue". I'm extremely grateful to #NetGalley and #headofzeus for sharing this story with me.
If you read "Belladonna Maze" you'd be already familiar with Sinead's writing style and seamless transitions in dual timeliness. In this story we meet Annie who left Ireland and went to America in the search of the better life and Emer who came to Ireland post-covid to relax and give her mind a well deserved break. Both stories describe romance as well as secrets that no matter how hard you try to keep them hidden - they always come out.
It's a beautiful description of social class differences, struggles that women are facing in a daily lifes, love taboos, family bonds and searching for your true self.
I'd absolutely recommend this book and I'm pretty sure it will make my top 10 (out of my yearly 300 reads) of the year just like her previous novel

A Maid on Fifth Avenue by Sinead Crowley is an interesting book set in two time periods - the 1920’s and more recently in 2022.

Annie Thornton lives in Ballydrynawn, a small country town in County Kerry of Ireland. She wishes and dreams of another life in America and not happy with the life she is currently living. Eileen her mother understands how her daughter feels, grants her wish and gives her blessings for Annie’s safe journey to fulfill her desires and dreams. Annie is looking forward to her new adventure, but she is concerned and frightened about her best friend May who is married to a mean and bully of a man.

Annie begins her journey boarding a ship destined for New York. She has never traveled outside of Ireland. America has many different opportunities for working especially for Irish women. Annie soon find work as a Maid for Mrs Cavendish the affluent owner of a Mansion on Fifth Avenue. Annie settles in quickly, enjoying her work and new life. She writes letter back home and sends money to her family.

The next part of the story is not something that usually happened in the 1920’s. Annie soon meets Elena an Italian waitress, who has a strict family with traditional upbringing and a man has been arranged for Elena to marry. Will Elena go ahead with this marriage? Annie finds herself falling for Elena, both so confused about what is happening between them. Is this relationship acceptable or are they going to be criticised for their behaviour?

Fast forward to 2022, covid, isolation and everyone going digital, brings us to Emer Molloy who is suffering from COVID Burnout. She leaves Los Angeles California and returns home to Ireland, to her parents Maura and George. Emer wants to surprise them with her return. She discovers that they too wanted to surprise her and her brother’s family with a holiday to LA and Australia where her brother is living. Emer’s parents leave the next day. They suggest Emer go and stay at the cottage they own in Ballydrynawn. So Emer borrows her parents Ford Focus taking up her parents idea and drives to her parents cottage and where they spent her summers as a child.

Emer arrives soon after deciding to go for a seaside walk in search of the over 100 year old fairly tree. On the beach she meets a Robert Lynch a handsome young surfer and owner of his surfing school named ‘Breaking Waves’. Robert introduces and teaches Emer to the wonderful world of surfing. Emer is amazed how much she is enjoying her new hobby. She didn’t think she would.

There is a connection between Annie and Emer even with 100 years apart. Emer and Rob find an interesting revelation, many secrets, and hidden discoveries are revealed as try to price together their findings what this all means for Annie.

I received this fascinating book by Sinead Crowley, from NetGalley and the publishers Aria and Aries for an honest review. Let’s say it’s beginning is interesting and draws you into the story with surprising insights to life in the Irish country side, a taboo topic for the 1920 America and the reality of a worldwide pandemic of 2022.

Take your time to enjoy this novel, well written and leaves you feeling like you have personally been part of the story. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Annie escapes a life where the only option there is seems to be to get married and have children.
Emer, well, I am glad this was included in his book - is experiencing post-COVID burnout.

3.5 stars
Strengths: Both Annie’s and Emer’s authentic struggles
The two time periods and places (I am not a fan of the dual timeline narratives for a lot of reasons; here I mean the particular years chosen for that and the particular places)
Women as main characters
Themes around friendship

Not my favourite (subjective): The pacing and the prose were not always 5/5 for me - I thought they could be improved.
And in general, I thought, ‘we have two relevant and adorable main characters, and some interesting side characters, we deserve to see more layers and depth, get to know them more’.

Certainly an enjoyable read. It is life-affirming.

I enjoyed the dual timeline in this novel and the intertwining tale of two women, Annie in the 1920s in New York and Emer in the present day in Ireland.

The struggles that these women face is not to be ignored. The book addresses these sensitively and with compassion.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

An enjoyable dual timeline book set in 1920's New York and post Covid Co. Kerry. Of the two main characters I preferred Annie's story. It seemed more complete and relevant than that of Emer although both were eminently readable and brought the story together nicely at the end. It did take me a little while to settle into the stories but once I did I was totally hooked. I've not read any Sinead Crowley books before but I shall certainly look up her other books now. Definitely a 5* recommendation from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable read. Loved the way the story came together, going back and forth between modern day and where it all started. Great characters. Would recommend this book.